BLACKSBURG - Three coaches who bring a combined two national titles, a Super Bowl championship, 11 BCS bowl game appearances, six conference titles and five NFL Playoff appearances as either coaches or players comprise the new members of the Virginia Tech football staff, as announced Friday by head football coach Frank Beamer. Joining the program are former Temple and Auburn offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, former Auburn offensive line coach Jeff Grimes and former Stanford wide receivers coach and Super Bowl champion Aaron Moorehead.
Beamer also announced that Bryan Stinespring, a respected recruiter around the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond, will move from the role of offensive coordinator to the responsibilities as Virginia Tech’s recruiting coordinator, as well as maintaining his coaching duties of the tight ends. Stinespring was the lead recruiter of five former Hokie players currently in the NFL (starter James Anderson, Pro Bowler Kam Chancellor, Pro Bowler DeAngelo Hall, Darryl Tapp and second-team All-Pro selection David Wilson), as well as several other prominent players on the upcoming team, including Logan Thomas, Andrew Miller, Ryan Malleck, Demitri Knowles and Trey Edmunds.

These new hires fill the vacancies on the staff created by the departures of Curt Newsome, Mike O’Cain and Kevin Sherman.

Loeffler will serve as the offensive coordinator and also coach the quarterbacks. Grimes will coach the offensive line, while Moorehead will coach the receivers. All three officially begin work on Friday, Jan. 25.

New Assistant Coaches Biographies

Scot Loeffler
Pronounced LEFF-ler … brings 15 years of coaching experience on the collegiate and NFL levels to Blacksburg … served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn in 2012 … was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Temple in 2011 … has tutored six college quarterbacks who went on to play in the NFL: Tom Brady, Tim Tebow, Brian Griese, Chad Henne, Drew Henson and John Navarre … at Auburn, his pro-style offense produced a 1,000-yard rusher in Tre Mason, who started six games after mid-season … Mason became the first non-QB to lead Auburn in total offense for a season since Bo Jackson in 1985 … at Temple, Loeffler guided the 9-4 Owls’ offense that was seventh nationally in rushing averaging 256.5 yards per game and 39th nationally in scoring (30.6 ppg) … running back Bernard Pierce was sixth nationally in rushing, averaging 123.4 yards a game … spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons at Florida as the quarterbacks coach, leading a Florida quarterback unit that led the nation in pass efficiency (167.3) in 2009, after the Gators passed for 3,305 yards for 28 touchdowns with just five interceptions … in his first season at Florida, the Gators ranked second in the SEC in passing offense with an average of 236.1 yards per game … guided Tim Tebow in his final season at Florida, during which he passed for 2,895 yards and 21 touchdowns, finishing his senior year with a passing efficiency of 164.17 … Tebow left Florida with five NCAA, 14 SEC and 28 UF records … spent the 2008 season with the NFL’s Detroit Lions, where he guided a quarterback unit that threw for 2,960 yards … for six seasons (2002-07), he coached the quarterbacks at Michigan, his alma mater, including second-round NFL draft pick Chad Henne, who became the first true freshman quarterback to lead his team to a Big Ten title and start in a BCS bowl game … Henne set school marks in career passing yards (9,715), touchdowns (87), completions (828) and attempts (1,387) … also helped develop John Navarre into Michigan’s first All-Big Ten first-team quarterback since 1997 … the quarterbacks he coached at Michigan have gone on to play in 318 regular-season NFL games, including 291 starts and won four Super Bowl rings as pros … served as Central Michigan’s quarterbacks coach for two seasons in 2000-01 … a quarterback for the Wolverines from 1993-96, Loeffler received his bachelor’s degree in 1998 … as a student and graduate assistant coach at Michigan, he worked with two future NFL quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Brian Griese and was part of the Wolverines’ 1997 undefeated national championship season … a native of Barberton, Ohio, he and his wife, Amie, have two children, son Luke and daughter Alexis.

Jeff Grimes
Comes to Blacksburg after a successful four-year stint instructing an offensive line unit that paved the way for Auburn’s offense, including a national championship run in 2010 … will coach the offensive line coach for the Hokies … during Auburn’s 2010 national championship season, Grimes’ coached an offensive line that set school records for total yards of offense (6,989) and points (577) for a second consecutive season … the Tigers led the Southeastern Conference and were fifth nationally in rushing yards per game (284.8) and led the SEC in scoring (41.2 ppg) that year … the 2010 Tigers set school records for rushing touchdowns (41), passing touchdowns (31), rushing yardage (3,987) and had three offensive linemen earn individual honors … tackle Lee Ziemba was a consensus All-America selection and earned the Jacobs Trophy as the SEC’s best blocker, and was taken by the Carolina Panthers in the NFL Draft … guard Byron Isom was named second-team All-SEC and center Ryan Pugh earned third-team All-America honors … following the 2011 season, tackle Brandon Mosley was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft after earning All-SEC honors his senior season … in his first season with the Tigers, Grimes helped establish a unit that set numerous school records, including points in a season (433), most total yards of offense in a season (5,613) and most plays in a season (914) … Auburn’s 266 first downs in 2009 was the second-best total in school history, and its average of 431.8 yards per game ranked fourth … the Tigers also had the seventh-most rushing yards (2,756) in a single season in Auburn history … Grimes coached both Ryan Pugh and Lee Ziemba to second-team All-SEC honors during the 2009 season … Prior to his stint Auburn, Grimes served as the assistant head coach, running game coordinator and offensive line coach at Colorado for two seasons from 2007-08 … two of his CU linemen from his first season, Tyler Polumbus and Edwin Harrison, were on NFL rosters in 2008 … a 20-year coaching veteran, Grimes went to Colorado from Brigham Young, where he coached the offensive line for three seasons from 2004-06 … his 2006 BYU linemen were a large part of the Cougars’ Mountain West Conference championship team, which finished 11-2 … Grimes’ success continued at Arizona State as four of his 2001 seniors were drafted into the NFL … it marked just the second time that had been done at any school since the NFL adopted the seven-round draft format in 1993 … in one season at Boise State in 2000, Grimes’ offensive line helped the Broncos lead the nation in scoring offense and accumulate 175 rushing yards per game … began his coaching career in 1993 as a high school coach at Riverside High School in El Paso … after two years there, he moved on to the college ranks, first working as a graduate assistant at Rice (1995) and then at Texas A&M (1996-97) … earned four letters as an offensive tackle for UTEP between 1987 and 1990, including three years under former BSU and ASU head coach Dirk Koetter when he was UTEP’s offensive coordinator and two years under current Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid … was in training camp with both the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL and the San Antonio Riders of the World Football League before entering coaching … A native of Garland, Texas, he and his wife, Sheri, have four children, daughters Bailey and Jada and sons, Garrison and Greydon.

Aaron Moorehead
One of the bright, young minds in the coaching business at just 32 years old … a former Illinois standout and Super Bowl champion as a receiver … will coach the Hokie wide receivers … spent the previous three seasons as an offensive assistant at Stanford … worked with the wide receivers, helping coach the Cardinal to three straight BCS games, including wins in the Orange and Rose Bowls … under his tutelage, the duo of Doug Baldwin and Ryan Whalen combined for 99 catches for 1,296 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010, leading to NFL roster spots for both … additionally, Chris Owusu was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 following his senior season at Stanford and Drew Terrell was second on the team in touchdowns catches last year for the Cardinal … prior to his time at Stanford, he spent the 2009 season as a graduate assistant coach at the University of New Mexico, where he worked with the wide receivers … following his collegiate career at Illinois, he spent five seasons (2003-07) in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, including an appearance in Super Bowl XLI when the Colts beat the Chicago Bears … in five seasons with the Colts, he appeared in 36 games, including one start, catching 31 passes for 330 yards and one touchdown … Moorehead’s father, Emery, played 12 seasons (1977-88) in the NFL with the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears and was part of the Bears Super Bowl-winning team following the 1985 season … the Mooreheads are the only father-son combination to play in, and win, a Super Bowl … a four-year letterwinner at Illinois from 1999-2002, he caught 85 passes for 1,293 yards and nine touchdowns … a native of Deerfield, Ill., Moorehead attended Deerfield High School, where he participated in football, baseball and track, finishing fourth in the state 110-meter high hurdles as a senior … is the cousin of Brad Daugherty, the former North Carolina and NBA standout.

Comments

As expected, Stinespring will stay on the staff as the tight end's coach and the recruiting coordinator. This is critical as he is the Hokies only remaining recruiter with experience in the Tidewater area.

For starters, TEs have to be able to pass block, as well as assisting in run blocking on D-Line or linebackers. While catching footballs is still a necessary part of what they do, they don't run anywhere near the number of different routes that WRs run.

I am perfectly fine with him with the TE. The more development and help those guys can get the better. I played TE and it really does have two mindsets. Run and pass blocking and routes. I feel that Stiney will had value to the Malleck and the others to make the TE's effective which is greatly needed in the Red Zone especially.

“I hope that they’re not going to have big eyes and pee down their legs so to speak,” -- Bud Foster

"I promise you I will keep getting back up as long as you keep pushing forward." -Michael Brewer
"That kid you're talking to right there, I think he played his nuts off! And you can quote me on that shit!" -Bud Foster

What this cat can do with the likes of Acree and Gibson. We have enough meat coming back that if we can combine a little attitude in the recipe, we could really inflict damage on Bama's d-line. Liking my chops boys! Can't wait to hit Bama in the mouth!

If it ain't orange, it better be maroon...and if it ain't maroon, it better be soon!

I concur. If the coaches convinces Teller to switch from DT to LT or LG as French suggested, I shudder...at the thought of seeing him and Brent forming a MASHER THEM UP, CHOP THEM DOWN, CHEW OUT DTs and INFLICT PAINS, NWO-STYLE!

Two years ago, the Hokies only had one coach out of nine that was in his 30s. Now they have five. Moreover, in 2010, five of the nine coaches at Virginia Tech were over 50. Now there is only one (Bud), although Stiney turns 50 this year.

I have no real insights into this, but I would have to imagine younger coaches tend to fair better on the recruiting trail.
We'll see how it plays out, but one would have to think this youth movement would pay dividends for the Hokies recruiting. Conveniently enough, the 2014 class in the Commonwealth is loaded.

Most stories about new Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Scott Loeffler point out his connections to such notable quarterbacks as Tom Brady, Tim Tebow, Brian Griese and Chad Henne, but I’m more impressed by what I hear about another Loeffler pupil.

The student is Chris Coyer, who, as a sophomore at Temple in 2011, led the Football Bowl Subdivision in adjusted yards per attempt. That’s not a statistic kept by the NCAA, but it is a mathematical formula that had Coyer first in the country, ahead of No. 2 Case Keenum, No. 3 Robert Griffin III and No. 4 Russell Wilson.

If you’re in that company, however you want to analyze the numbers, that’s pretty impressive.

“Lefty [Loeffler] is a great guy,” said Coyer’s father, Chris, a boyhood friend of mine from Bethesda, Md. “Actually, [son] Chris is very jealous. He was just there with Chris for one year.”

Coyer played at Oakton High School in Vienna, where he was a teammate of Tech’s leading tackler this past season, walk-on linebacker Jack Tyler.

“Lefty is a very smart guy and his system is quite complex on the quarterbacks,” Coyer said. “He puts everything on the quarterbacks. We’re going to find out now whether Logan [Thomas] is just a good athlete or whether he’s a true NFL prospect.”

Coyer averaged 9.3 yards per passing attempt and 8.1 yards per rushing attempt in 2011. Then, Loeffler moved on to Auburn after the 2011 season and Coyer dropped to 5.7 yards per pass attempt and 4.0 yards per rushing attempt.

Judging from Coyer’s numbers, Loeffler isn’t afraid to run his quarterback (“Oh, gosh no,” Coyer Sr. said). Thomas this year had 65 more rushing attempts than any other Tech player.

“He’ll go to the line with as many as three or four different plays,” said Coyer Sr., a former college wideout at Minnesota. “[Loeffler] teaches the quarterbacks to read the fronts more than the secondaries.

“The fronts are going to tell you what the secondaries are going to do because the secondaries lie. It’s imperative that quarterbacks become very, very good at reading fronts. Once they do, they’ll lock into what should be the right play.

“Some OCs don’t have a tremendous amount of plays but they have a lot of options off of them. ‘Lefty’ is a one of those guys who has a play for everything. It’s graduate-level stuff, but, if you get it, you can be super successful.

‘He’s [Loeffler] highly intense; he’s a visor type and when he’s on the field, he’s highly animated. And, the stuff he says, he’s very serious about, but it’ll crack you up.He’s a player’s coach, no question, but he’s highly demanding and highly technical.

“He can dumb it down a little bit, but it bastardizes his offense and it limits it tremendously.”

My question to Coyer’s father was whether Thomas would have enough time to assimilate Loeffler’s system.

“Logan will have to spend copious amounts of time and energy to absorb what Scott Loeffler teaches,” he said. “If he puts in the time and effort and energy, it not only will put him make him extremely successful as a [college] quarterback but also prepare him extremely well for the next level.

“His systems are built to create great quarterbacks.”

It's all about The VPISU
VT '10, Born & Raised in the 804. Freeman Rebels, Keydets, Army Black Knights, NY Giants, NY Rangers, and ATL Braves.

An added benefit to hiring 2 Auburn coaches is at least they know Alabama. I think Frank will be more open to letting them do what they think is best in the Bama game unlike Chizik. I think this gives us a better chance than the alternative of having Stinespring wing it.